Lord Of The Flies, Psychological Perspective
Id, Ego, & Super-Ego
Sigmund Freud divided the mind into three main structures, the Id, the Ego, and the Super-Ego. The first structure, the id, represents physiological drives and is fully unconscious. It is described as ?chaos, a cauldron of seething excitations.? The Id demands instant gratification without consideration of law, social custom, or the needs of others. The second structure is the Ego. It stands for reason and good sense. The Ego is usually developed within the first year of life, and is used to curb the appetites of the Id. The final structure is the Super-Ego. It incorporates the moral standards and values of our parents. One?s Super-Ego acts like a conscience. It is an internal moral guardian. In William Golding?s novel, Lord of the Flies, these Freudian structures can be seen in the characters of Jack, Ralph, and Piggy.
First there is Jack, who embodies the Id. All he can seem to think about is hunting pigs. This is Jack?s gratification, and he takes great pride in these kills. Hunting in itself is very unnecessary, as there is plenty of fruit to survive on, and
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